Child Language Center

WOW’s Angel Wing is Up & Running!

Barbara Kiernan — Mon, 10 May 2010 20:13:31 +0000

…and so is the Catalina Rotary Speech and Language Clinic. Both were dedicated in a ribbon-cutting ceremony on March 26th, with over 200 friends and supporters joining in the fun. The new Angel Donor Wall and Tiles for Tots were revealed then too, both the creation of ceramic artist Julie Szerena Stein. Right now, WOW is wrapping up this school year and looking forward to its 19th Summer Day Camp. We’re still building, however, as a new Toddler program is scheduled to open in August 2010. Thanks First Things First for making that happen. Keep looking for updates on Camp and ToddlerU!

Angel Wing is now Open – Dedication set for March 26th!

Barbara Kiernan — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 18:04:10 +0000

With the help of staff, parents, and many volunteers, classroom furniture was moved over to the Angel Wing on the weekend of January 30th and classes opened on Monday to the wonderful smiles of all the kids. Excitement reigned! That very same day, renovation began on the Catalina Rotary Speech-Language Clinic in the original facility. We’ll be ready to show off our new campus at our dedication on March 26th from 5:30 – 7:30. Come join the celebration. Families, friends, and supporters can tour the new campus, enjoy some wine and hor d’oeuvres, and marvel at the Donor Wall created by ceramic tile artist, Julie Stein, as it is unveiled for the world to see.

First Things First Grant Awarded

Barbara Kiernan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:15:47 +0000

In October of 2009, First Things First (FTF) awarded the University of Arizona’s Child Language Center and Gruenwald Blitz Clinic for Communication Disorders in Children a grant for $100,000. Its purpose is to train preschool teachers and early care providers in the north Pima County area to recognize “red flags” associated with speech and language delays, make appropriate referrals to community resources, and facilitate speech and language of children in their classrooms or care setting. The goal is to help families of children with speech and language delays access therapeutic services that will help them catch up with their peers and be reay to learn, read, and succeed in kindergarten. The timing is critical. For every $1 we spend in these early years, we save $17 in much less effective remedial programs and lost potential later on.

FTF, approved by Arizona voters, works to ensure that our youngest children have access to quality early childhood experiences so they will start school healthy and ready to succeed. Across the state, FTF regional partnership councils – in collaboration with local leaders – identify the educational and health needs of children from birth through age 5 in their communities and fund strategies to address those needs. The program we will offer is funded by the FTF through the North Pima Regional Council and presented in collaboration with The Parent Connection and Southwest Human Development.

Scholastic Book Fair Coming to WOW – December 1-7

Barbara Kiernan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:10:14 +0000

Each year WOW brings the Scholastic Book Fair to its families and friends. The patio of the school is turned into a fun, colorful bookstore filled with books for young children. Our teachers also post their classroom wishlists. Children come with parents and find just the books they want to read. Then Parents come back alone to shop for holiday presents. Friends of WOW are always welcome too. Great gifts for all the children in your families! One of the best parts of the Fair is that in return for your purchases, Scholastic gives WOW free books for its library and classroom. To find out more, check out the Fair website.

Roof’s up – just a few weeks to go!

Barbara Kiernan — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:41:59 +0000

Although we had to postpone our November 6th Dedication, we are finally running toward the finish line. The roof is up, doors and windows are in, and even the beautiful cabinets and counters for each classroom are installed. We’re still waiting on lights and flooring, but they will be here by the end of the month. We can’t wait to share our new Angel Wing with you! The Dedication will be held early in the New Year – Promise! Just look for your invitation to arrive by snail mail or our new Constant Contact emails. If you would like to receive our email updates, just click in the upper right hand corner of our website. We’d love to keep you in the loop!

WOW’s Angel Wing is growing day by day!

Barbara Kiernan — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 21:29:08 +0000

Every day higher!

From graded dirt to pipe-filled trenches to concrete slab to walls. And these walls are green! Not only is the color blue-green, but they are made of a Styrofoam-like material that is the latest in energy efficient technology. It’s called ICF block. You can lift a six-foot length of it with one hand. But don’t let looks deceive you. Once this block is filled with cement, it will be just as durable as cement blocks. The walls grew to the height you see here in one week. Next week, the roof will arrive. We’ll keep you posted! And all this has happened since WOW started up on August 24^th. The kids are as excited as the teachers are each day to see how their new classrooms are coming along. They’re also enjoying the new playground on the north side of our existing building. No real play equipment yet, but they love the trike path, the covered porch, and lots and lots of room to run! Just two more months until it’s all done!

WOW on KUAT

Barbara Kiernan — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 19:52:58 +0000

We were fortunate to have KUAT’s Arizona Illustrated out for a story on WOW. It aired March 31, 2008. You can see it here or at their website.